Statistics and the Bible

[DeerGlow]

So my pre-cal teacher told us this story today in class:

"When I took statistics, [teacher] gave us one set of numbers and told us to make it say one thing. Then she told us to make them say the opposite, but just gave us the same numbers."

This makes me think of the false teachers, and why there are so many doctrines and denominations. With the same verses people can twist them to say just about anything. Some people don't do it intentionally, misreading verses, but others like what Satan did while tempting Jesus, he quoted the Bible, but twisted it. I could make more points off of this but really the story is the main thing I wanted to share so.... think about it?

 

[John Hyperspace]

Someone once said that there are three types of lies. Lies, big lies, and statistics. The silver lining of uncertainty is that it forces reliance onto faith, hope and love. Paul said something about, knowledge will vanish; faith, hope and love are the three that remain.

 

[Adstar]

So my pre-cal teacher told us this story today in class:

"When I took statistics, [teacher] gave us one set of numbers and told us to make it say one thing. Then she told us to make them say the opposite, but just gave us the same numbers."

This makes me think of the false teachers, and why there are so many doctrines and denominations. With the same verses people can twist them to say just about anything. Some people don't do it intentionally, misreading verses, but others like what Satan did while tempting Jesus, he quoted the Bible, but twisted it. I could make more points off of this but really the story is the main thing I wanted to share so.... think about it?

Some people try and figure scripture out for themselves.. Some study what other people just read books from other people and they parrot the other persons interpretation..

But in truth it is the Holy Spirit of God who makes people understand what they need to understand in scripture.. Now the question is.. Who is being lead by the Holy Spirit and who is not??? A Christian can always ask God directly in their prayer..

 

[SPF]

67% of statistics are made up on the spot.

 

[Stephen3141]

So my pre-cal teacher told us this story today in class:

"When I took statistics, [teacher] gave us one set of numbers and told us to make it say one thing. Then she told us to make them say the opposite, but just gave us the same numbers."

This makes me think of the false teachers, and why there are so many doctrines and denominations. With the same verses people can twist them to say just about anything. Some people don't do it intentionally, misreading verses, but others like what Satan did while tempting Jesus, he quoted the Bible, but twisted it. I could make more points off of this but really the story is the main thing I wanted to share so.... think about it?

The assertions in this post, are basically unfalsifiable.

I don't see how anyone could take them seriously.

 

[DragonFox91]

The issue is less people misread the verses, it's that they don't read them in context. They cherry-pick the verses they like.

They don't read the Bible, they read verses, if that.

There's also a different set of statistics (the world's) they use in combination w/ the true statistics.

 

[Godsunworthyservant]

So my pre-cal teacher told us this story today in class:

"When I took statistics, [teacher] gave us one set of numbers and told us to make it say one thing. Then she told us to make them say the opposite, but just gave us the same numbers."

This makes me think of the false teachers, and why there are so many doctrines and denominations. With the same verses people can twist them to say just about anything. Some people don't do it intentionally, misreading verses, but others like what Satan did while tempting Jesus, he quoted the Bible, but twisted it. I could make more points off of this but really the story is the main thing I wanted to share so.... think about it?

The old saying says, "Figures don't lie, liars figure!".

 

[B Griffin]

The assertions in this post, are basically unfalsifiable.

I don't see how anyone could take them seriously.

Nice word, "unfalsifiable". I had to look it up. Merriam-Webster indicates it means, "not capable of being proved false".

I think the premise of the OP is provable to be true by observation.

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (2 Pe 3:14–16 NKJV)​

I can't judge their motives because I can't see into their hearts, but I can certainly observe that untaught and unstable people twist the Scriptures in today's world just as they did in Peter's day.

Was there something in particular in the OP that drew your ire?

 

[Stephen3141]

When there are posts about "false teachers", the one posting needs to identify some examples.

Otherwise, ANYONE can make such a claim.

I do not argue that Scripture speaks against false teachers.

What I do wonder, in a post on a Christian apologetics site, is WHAT
the one posting thinks are false teachers.

It is this sort of quoting of Scripture, without defining what you mean by
"false teacher", that makes the assertion unfalsifiable.

It's like saying, "I'm right".
Without making an assertion about what you think you're right about.

(Does anyone argue against the concept that there are false teachers?
You need to give examples involving statistics, and define what you
think false teaching is.)